专业3D打印材料开发人员6k设法筹集了1.02亿美元的D系列资金。
由科赫战略平台领导，并由能源影响伙伴,阿尔伯马尔,HG Ventures和6K的现有支持者，这项投资是两项总计，总计可达1.5亿美元。该公司旨在通过其系列D的进行，旨在扩大其金属粉末和阴极生产能力，以便能够更好地解决对锂离子电池需求的快速增长。
“Lithium-ion battery markets will increase tenfold in the next decade, fueled by growth in EVs, as well as supporting critical infrastructure for telecom back-up, data centers, and power plants,” says Aaron Bent, CEO of 6K. “The fact that there is no lithium-ion battery material production on US soil is a concern for both national security and for the industries that are relying on these critical materials.”
“ Unimelt”等离子体技术
6K的产品总部位于马萨诸塞州北安多佛，围绕其专有的Unimelt等离子体技术展开。在材料的生产中，该过程可以使回收的原料（如磨坊和转化为3D可打印的金属粉末）的转换有效地提供了气体或等离子体雾化的替代方案，据说可以提供一种提高可持续性水平，成本和效率。
Since 6K’s energy division, 6K Energy,建立了卓越中心2021年4月，该技术还被部署以开发锂离子电池材料。在这种应用中，据说UNIMELT过程可以直接控制粉末的物理和化学颗粒质量，从而产生原料，从而有助于创建便宜的EV电池和电力库。
Over the last year, 6K has sought to expand on its production capabilities in this area, raising5100万美元用于电池材料研发, as well asacquiring Specialty Metallurgical Products和partnering with Albemarle to develop batteries, that are expected to feature previously unseen levels of energy storage performance.
科赫战略平台MD Jeremy Bezdek说：“自成立以来，我们一直在遵循6K Energy的进步，发现6K的Unimelt等离子体技术提供了在美国土壤上建立的竞争性生产过程。”“他们创造了一种变革性的电池材料生产和回收生态系统，提供了一种能够通过各种化学作用的全面生产的多功能技术。”
“This innovation will help realize advancements in energy transformation and the battery value chain.”
6k’s expected $150 million windfall
6k’s Series D funding round is being led by Koch Strategic Platforms, a subsidiary of theKoch Investments Group（KIG），为其母公司寻找投资和收购机会。在过去的十年中，KIG的子公司在公共和私人资本市场中都部署了超过600亿美元的资金，以此作为扩大其在广泛行业的利益的一种手段。
早在2019年1月，另一家基格附属公司的科赫破坏性技术领导了A$160 million investment in Desktop Metal此后，它一直成为行业中最高知名度的公司之一launching a series of takeovers.
With its latest 3D printing investment, KIG’s Strategic Platforms subsidiary has led a round that’s expected to hit $150 million by the time it closes in Spring 2022. As well as seeing it “add a limited group of strategic investors,” 6K says the move will help finance the opening of its $30 million Battery Center of Excellence and its first 10-20 GWh cathode plant, set to open and enter production in August 2022 and 2024.
本特总结说：“ 6K是唯一能够以低于亚洲的成本电池材料生产的公司，同时还将对环境的影响降低了70％-90％。”“科赫战略平台的投资不仅带来了促进我们增长所需的资本，而且同样重要的是，它们带来了无与伦比的承诺和电池价值链中的覆盖范围。”
“诸如此类的破坏性方法是遣返该行业的唯一可行方法。”
Bringing 3D printed batteries to market
即使3D打印的能源设备市场仍处于开发的早期阶段，但已经有许多公司试图商业化相关技术。其中之一是Blackstone Resources, a Swiss investment firm that’s taken an interest in this area, and currently aims to bring anew 3D printed sodium-ion battery到2025年到达市场。
The likes of theSakuu Corporation另一方面，打算启动他们的最新high-density 3D printed battery甚至在2023年。今年早些时候，该公司透露，该公司在其设备开发方面已经达到了一个新的里程碑，因为电池的能量密度达到800 WH/L，使其更接近市场领先的性能等级。
在其他地方，3D打印机制造商光中心has also got in on the act, byestablishing a dedicated battery R&D division设计其自己的节能存储设备，其中包含3D打印电极。据报道，该公司旨在利用那里开发的技术来创造经济的燃料电池特斯拉的upcoming Giga plant.
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Featured image shows 6K’s Battery Center of Excellence in North Andover, MA. Photo via 6K.
